Enhancing the service

Telecom operators around the world face the challenge of not only operating and maintaining legacy telephone exchanges but also providing additional services to customers. DesignA Electronics Ltd offers a smart and dependable technology to assist telecom operators in this task. This was the case in Sao Paulo, Brazil were DesignA Electronics worked closely with their distribution partner Logictel S. A. to provide a leading solution to the telecom operator allowing them to boost customer service and introduce additional products over their network.

Magnetic tape units (MTU), introduced in the 1980-90’s for data storage, are fast becoming obsolete; MTU’s are bulky mechanical devices that, like all mechanical products, wear out over time and fail. MTU’s are used to record billing information and when there is a discrepancy or error in the data recovery: they are used to back-up the exchange and provide disaster recovery. When MTU’s fail they must be taken to a laboratory for the exchange of parts, adjustment, and diagnostics. Magnetic tapes are also predisposed to degradation over time and use.

Many telecommunications providers around the world have great difficulty in finding a substitute for MTU’s that are capable of providing safe and reliable data storage for data backup of digital and analogue data. The situation is even more complicated when confronted with legacy equipment. The diversity of telephone switches brought about the need for a data storage system that would be compatible with them all.

Designed for rapid and easy installation, the compact DDS-XM is a modern, solid state storage device designed to substitute magnetic tape storage, utilised in systems connected to telephone exchanges from the likes of NEC, Siemens, Alcatel – Lucent, Ericsson, Fujitsu and Tropico.

The DDS (Digital Data Storage) units are compact, easy to transport and store, and crucially can be installed without interrupting service. Beyond that, the DDS uses latest generation digital flash media that is infinitely more reliable than magnetic tapes and drives that require moving parts for the accessing and storage of data. The DDS products from DesignA have been successfully installed within telecommunications networks in many parts of the world since 2006.

Colin Hogg, General Manager at DesignA Electronics explains:

Due to the nature of the DDS, there are no mechanical components, having been designed for ease of “plug and play”, substituting traditional storage systems, whether tape or cartridge, and with minimal configuration required

After many weeks of tests that simulated all the functionality in testing centres of the Brazilian telecommunications giant, the DDS proved itself to be extremely reliable. After even more extensive tests, Logictel, in November of 2009, provided 103 units DDS-XM MTE units to the operator in question.

Logictel’s Director of operations, Geraldo Guimarães says, "We do not know any other manufacturer that possesses a single product with all the functionality of the DDS-XM MTE units. We recommend this technology for all telecommunications operators that are facing a similar situation with old magnetic tape devices."

Colin adds, "Since 2006, our DDS products have helped telecommunications operators prolong and extend the service life of their telephone exchanges, which is a remarkable achievement. The alternatives – creation of personalised storage solutions or a complete replacement of the telephone exchanges, costs millions, is not always economically viable."

Additional Benefits

With MTU’s, operators had to physically remove tapes from the exchanges every month, and take them to a data centre for data transfer, generating substantial extra costs and delays, including the associated care and additional costs incurred with data storage on tape.

Uniquely, DesignA Electronics’ DDS can either send data directly to a centralised data storage facility via the operators Ethernet network using the DesignA’s Network Management Software (NMS). Or alternatively, it can be downloaded to SD cards or USB storage devices then transferred to a laptop or easily transported to the data centre for processing. DDS units are also capable of automating the scheduled transfer of data. This allows for optimum efficiency when it comes to correlating the reference data and the detailed data of the exchange.

World Class support by Logictel in Brazil

With dedicated development and total support from DesignA in New Zealand, Logictel has successfully introduced and installed DDS’s in the Brazilian market and offers world-class maintenance and support.

Colin says:

Although the DDS is practically “plug and play”, there are regional characteristics and different software utilised in telephone exchanges. For this reason, Logictel and DesignA put to work a team of engineers and technical specialists to guarantee the success of the installation and formation throughout the implementation period

This exceptional collaboration between DesignA and Logictel and their market expertise in Brazil empowers Logictel to install and support Design A’s DDS product throughout Brazil, inclusive of training, support and maintenance, with any Brazilian operator, in any location.